Struggling Asters?

I purchased some beautiful annual asters at a local garden center and planted them a few weeks ago. They are not doing very well - they just look droopy and sad and it looks like something has been eating the leaves (bug, I think - I don't have many rabbits around here and it doesn't look like rabbit damage.) They are in full sun and we've had a very dry spring so far. I water when the soil is dry. They just look bad. Has anyone else in zone 5a had good or bad luck with annual asters?